Burial vault locking mechanism



Aprilzs, 1936. CJ. KING 2,038,794

` BURIAL VAULT LOCKING MEGHANISM 'l I l #I l l x i, t I. 'l l l| y ll I l K 1. i H i i f il 1 l ,l 1 l ll I Il h l I Y l l; ll l l Hi l e h'l l j s @mi H :L I m J y l C/fH/Qzfs 1Km/G.

April 28, 1936. c, J. KING 2,038,794

BURIAL VAULT LOCKING MECHANISM Filed June 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 31Min/wim Cf/Hs J.' KING.

l0. place upon the base of the vaultready for locking Patented Apr. 28, 1936i UNITED STATES BURIAL VAULT LOCKING MECHANISM Charles J. King, Galion, Ohio, assignor to Perfection Steel ,BodyV Company, Galion, Ohio, a

corporation Application June 14,

2 Claims.

The purpose of the presentinvention has been te produce a simple, compact, and efficient locking mechanism particularly designed fo-r application to metal burial vaults, for locking the vault body in place upon the base provided therefor in these constructions of vaults.

An especial object in the provision of the mechanism of the invention lies in the arrangement and formation of the parts such as permits of aA very quick assemblage of the various parts in cooperation with the vault body, the method of assembly being such as does away with connecting cotterpins or other fastening devices between the operating lever for the locking dogs, and the means for adjusting the locking par-ts to maintain their locking and unlocking positions being simple and readily operable according to the invention.

A novel feature of the operating means for the locking parts lies in the provision of an auxiliary handle capable of being actuated when the vault is standing on end and the main operating handle is not in a convenient position for the actuation of the lock members or dogs that connect the vault body and base in locked relation. The auX- iliary operating means for the locking mechanism is located underneath and within the base structure, which is usually of hollow formation and therefore permits the mounting of the auxiliary handle or actuating part inthe location stated.

For a full understanding of the invention a preferred embodiment thereof is described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan View of the end portion of the vault base looking down thereon and illustrating the lock means of the invention.

Figure 2 is an end View of the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional View at right angles to Figure 4, showing more fully the arrangement o-f the pivot lever for actuation of the pull rods connected to the locking dogs, the enclosure of the lever and pull rod devices by the cover plate, and the disposition of the cam handle and auxiliary handle, the top or body of the vault being partially shown and broken away.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of certain of the lock mechanism features.

Figure 5 is a sectional View bringing out more clearly the construction of one of the locking dogs.

Figure 6 is a detail view of one of the pull rods.

Figure l is a detail view of the other pull rod.

Figure 8 is a view in elevation of the cover plate 1935, Serial No. 26,680

which cooperates with an end portion of the base to house the locking mechanism.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary end view of the vault base, illustratingthe operating instrumentalities through which the locking dogs are actuated. 5

Referring to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, it' is notable that the base of the type of metal burial vault of the invention consists of a plate I which is formed at its edges with a relatively vertical downwardly projecting side flange 2. This 1o side flange is bent at its lower edge in an outward direction and slightly upwardly to form a pan or vault body receiving flange 3. Upon this flange the lower edges of the vault ,body 4, which are in-turned and bent upwardly as shown at 5 and 6, l5 are received when the body is disposed over the base I as when in closed condition for shipment or after a casket has been disposed in the vault ready to be lowered into a grave.

The locking mechanism of the invention is 20 duplicated at the opposite ends of the base and therefore the mechanism at one end only will be described and will make clear the particular novel features of the invention.

The vault body and base as previously set forth 25 are of the conventional.construction at present in use. At the sides of the base and in the vertical flange 2 thereof, near each end, are located the outwardly swinging pivoted dogs 1. 'I'hese dogs are hung upon pintle rods or pivot members 3@ 8 and swing outwardly through suitable slots in said side flange or skirt portion 2 of the base. For the operation of the rods of the dogs 'I 'simultaneously to withdraw them so that they do notproject outwardlyfrom the portion 2 of 35 the base as shown in Figure 2, there is provided a lever 9 pivoted intermediate its ends as at I0. The upper end of the lever 9 is connected by a pull rod I I with the lower actuating extension Ia- Vof the dog 1. The pull rod II is shown best in 40 Figure 7, having the inwardly bent end IIb to coact with the dog I with whichit directly coopcrates. The lower end of the lever 9 is connected by another pull rod I2 shown best in Figure 6, and the pull rod I2 leads from said lever 9 to the 45 other one of the dogs 'I, that opposite the one which is operated by the pull rod II. The pull rod I2, however, is made slightly different from the rod II in that the rod I2 has a laterally bent end IZa to coact with the dog 1 which it works, 50 andan opposite laterally bent end I2b to coopcrate with the lever 9 by PaSsing through the lower end thereof. The end I2b of the rod I2 is longer thantheend I2r so that it may Anot only pass through the lower end of the lever 9 55 1 body or top of the vault and lock the latter down sufficiently to make connection with the lever,

but it additionally passes through a cover plate I3 beneath the base near the end at which the locking Vmechanism described is located. The cover plate I 3 has a main, approximately vertically disposed body, spaced in parallel relation with the adjacent skirt or flange 2 of the base, and at the bottom edge of the plate I3 is a laterally outwardly vbent flange I4 to close said space.

Thus the plate I3 and its base flange I4 form an effective covering means for certain of the pull'rods and lever parts described. Said cover plate may be welded in place, as will be later set forth. Y j 1 The end I2b of the pull rod VI2 projects sufficiently far inwardly to the hollow portion of the base I, from the plate I3, to provide an auxiliary handle for use as hereinafter explained. There are provided for the dogs I, as seen best in Figure 5, flat springs I5, one end of each spring engaging anat side of the hollow portion of the dog'Lbeingcurved over the pintle rod or pivot 8 forv the dog and engaged beneath the base I Wardly'throughthe slot I6 of the skirt or flange 2 whereby to cooperate with the portion' of the on the basef Since the movement ofthe pull rod I2 by the lever 9 is necessary for actuation of the cooperating dogs "I, theV opening in the cover plate I3 to which the auxiliary Vhandle I 2b passes is of arcshaped form, as'shown at I'I in FigureV 8 where saidopening is clearly illustrated. The said'end |26 moves on an arc about the axis I Il of the lever 9 ,and therefore the opening I'I is formed on the same arc, for obvious reasons.

As a main actuating means for operating the lockingparts 'I at'eachend of the vault I employ avmain handle I8 as seen in Figures 4 and 2, said handle being a part' of a U-fshaped member, the

intermediate portion of which is a Vshaft VI9 and Y'the innermost portion of which isan Varm 20.

The arm 20 is adapted toV abut with the lower end portion ofthe lever 9 to rocksaid lever in such a manner that Ythe connected ends of the pull rods II and 4I2`are pulled upon and the dogs 1 are withdrawn intothe hollow portion ofthe base I. At such time the arm 20 of the operating member, which comprises the handle I8, assumes the Yplace on the adjacent part 3 of the base by means of a bearing sleeve 2I'Welded to the part 3. vThe part 3 at its outerV up-cupped edge is cut away opposite the location ofthe actuating member I8 so that the latter may be depressed by stepping upon the same with the foot, or'by use of the hand, and the said outwardly up-turned portion of the base flange 3 will not interfere with such movement. The cut away portion aforesaid of Y the part 3 is designated 22.

The axis I0 of the lever 9', Vshown best in Figure" 3, comprises'a bolt 23the head of which is outermost'and the square portion 23a Yof which passesV latter vis deposited upon the base.

through a square 4hole, in the skirt or flange 2. The inner portion of the bolt passes through the lever 9 and a nut 24is then screwed upon the bolt.

In assembling the parts, thelever 9 isV engaged with the ends Ila. and I2b of the rods Il and I2Y after the bolt is passed through the part 2. g Then the nut 24 is screwed on the bolt and holds the lever 9 in place and similarly holdsthe parts of i the rods II and I2 engagedby the lever from being displaced therefrom. Cotterpins are thus dispensed With. The parts so assembled, the handle I8 and its integral portions I9 and 28 are placed in position on the member 3 and the sleeve 2| iswelded to the part 3 to provide the bearing for the part I9. Thereupon cover plate VI3 is placed in position and may be welded or other-V wise secured so as to enclose the parts 9, II, I2,`

and 24. Y

When the handle I8 is raised from the position of vFigure 9, the lever9 is unlocked and the springs I5V thereupon force the dogs I outwardly and the vault body is thus locked'to the base.

VWhen the vaultwith its body and base are in standingposition, as for instance standing onone end, the operation of the locking dogs 1 to oper-V ate the two may be performed by the grasping of the auxiliary handle I2bi from a point at the bottom ofthe base, thereby to release the dogs I by withdrawal into the baseV in'a self-evident manner. Y

summarizing the. assembly of the mechanism as, above described,rafter the bolt 23 has been passed through the square hole in the skirt or flange 2 of the base, the lever 9 is placed in posi-r tion on the bolt with the members I I and I2 hav-v through the end openings of the lever in a direction away from the said skirt 2. Thereupon, whenthe nut 24 is screwed in place, parts I I and I2 will be held from displacement from, the lever by being supported between the lever and skirt 2. No Cotterpins; are required for this assembly of these parts. Next the handleA unitA I8 I9, 20Vis slipped through a hole near the Vloweredge of. the

Ving their end extensions IIa. and |21)y passed skirt 2 as shown, the part 20 arranged properly in 4.5

relation to the lever and the sleeve bearing 2 I welded to the flange 3 over the portion I9 of the main handle unit. The hinge pins of the lockingY dogs I are placed through holes `in said dogs and the springs I5 are placed in position coacting with the dogs and extending over the hinge pins 8; then the outer ends of the pull rods Il and I2 are inserted in the holes in the lower extended portions of the dogs 'I and the pins are then welded 55 at the angle of thebase plate underneath the same.

The cover plate I 3 is now placed in position and welded to the parts YI and 2, thereby completing the installation of the locking mechanism upon the base ofthe vault. As previously stated, when the vault is fiat upon theground or in horizontal position, the lockingl mechanism may be unlocked by simply pressing down on the member I8V with the foot to carry VsaidV member I8 to the position of Figure 9. YLifting of the member I8 will free the locking dogs and permit their automatic engagementfwith the vault cover or body when the When the vaults are standing on end so that it is not'easy to operate theY member, I8, the unlocking actionY of the .dogs 'I may be effected by theauxiliary handle I2b..

I and the skirt 2 Havingthus described my invention, what VII '75 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. Locking means for use on a grave vault base plate, comprising a lever adapted to be mounted on a skirt portion of a base, locking dogs having portions movable through the skirt portion of the base to engage with a cover for the vault, pull rods connected each at one end. to the lever and at the opposite end thereof to one of the locking dogs, a handle unit pivoted to the base plate and extending outwardly therefrom, said unit including a main handle, a pivot portion adapted to eX- tend through the base, and a lever impinging arm on said pivot portion disposed in the same plane as the said lever to engage the lever for operating the pull rods to Withdraw the dogs from their locking positions, the inner end of one of the pull rods being projected from the base at its point of connection With said lever to provide an auxiliary handle adapted to be used when the main handle is inaccessible or not easy of operation.

2. Locking means for use on a grave vault base plate, comprising a lever adapted to be mounted on a skirt portion of a base, locking dogs having portions movable through the skirt portion of the base to engage with a cover for the vault, pull rods connected each at one end to the lever and at the opposite end thereof to one of the locking dogs, a handle unit pivoted to the base plate and extending outwardly therefrom, said unit including a main handle, a pivot portion adapted to extend through the base, and a lever impinging arm on said pivot portion disposed in the same plane as the said lever to engage the lever for operating the pull rods to Withdraw the dogs from their locking positions, the inner end of one of the pull rods being projected from the base at its point of connection with said lever to provide an auxiliary handle adapted to be used when the main handle is inaccessible or not easy of operation, said handle unit main handle being located exterior to the base, and the auxiliary handle member located underneath the base, and the said lever impinging arm having a square end for abutment with the lever at a predetermined point in the rocking of the latter to give a selflocking eiTect for holding the lever in a position maintaining the dogs unlocked.

CHARLES J. KING. 

